Recycle

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˌɹiːˈsaɪkəl/

Definitions

1. To collect and treat used items so their components can be made into new products ; to use a material repeatedly in a different form or function
2. The act of converting waste into reusable material to reduce consumption of fresh resources ; to adapt something for a new purpose after its original use
3. Transforming discarded objects into raw materials for manufacturing ; the practice of reusing elements from one context in another to save resources

Etymology: "Recycle" is a simple formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back," attached to "cycle," which traces through Late Latin "cyclus" and Greek "kuklos," meaning "circle" or "wheel." The idea of a circle is what gives the word its sense: material goes around again rather than ending up as waste. "Cycle" entered English in the Middle Ages through Latin, so "recycle" is a much more recent creation built on top of that older word. The prefix "re-" came into English through Old French, where it was already a productive tool for forming new verbs meaning "do again." The verb was formed in English from these parts, and its modern sense of collecting used materials and reprocessing them into new products is what gives it its current use.

Synonyms: reuse, reprocess

Antonyms: waste, discard